ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Emirates airline serves more than 64 million pieces of premium chocolate to its customers annually, the airline said on the occasion of World Chocolate Day.
The airline shared details relating to the procurement and serving of chocolate and chocolate desserts across its cabin classes and airport lounges.
Emirates said the annual figure represents an increase of 4 million chocolates compared with the previous year. The airline also handcrafts around 26 million chocolate desserts every year across all four cabin classes, from chocolate mousse cakes in Economy Class to plated desserts in First Class.
The scale of the operation also extends to procurement. Emirates loads about 750,000kg of luxury chocolate giveaways from premium suppliers onto its aircraft each year, while using around 260,000kg of chocolate ingredients to prepare desserts for customers across its global network.
The airline said it does not rely on a single supplier or cocoa origin. Instead, it works with international chocolatiers and chocolate manufacturers to offer a range of flavours and textures through the year.
Cocoa is sourced from growing regions including South America and Africa, with suppliers selected for quality, craftsmanship, responsible sourcing and sustainable production practices.
Emirates said its culinary design team creates chocolate desserts with destinations in mind, developing recipes based on regional tastes, seasonal ingredients and local preferences.
Mediterranean routes may feature chocolate paired with berries or stone fruits, while Asian destinations inspire combinations with tropical fruits, yuzu or matcha. Across the Middle East, pistachio remains one of the region’s preferred flavour pairings.
“Our chocolate desserts are never created in isolation. We look at the destinations they’re travelling to; the flavours customers enjoy in different parts of the world and the premium chocolate that best complements those ingredients. That philosophy allows us to create chocolate experiences that feel both familiar and globally inspired,” said Doxis Bekris, Vice President Culinary Design at Emirates.
The airline said a team of 250 pastry and bakery chefs works on its chocolate desserts. Over the course of a year, the culinary team creates more than 120 different chocolate desserts across all four cabin classes, with menus changing according to seasonal ingredients, destination-inspired flavours and customer preferences.
Emirates said chocolate consumption has grown by around 5% year-on-year, particularly for richer dark chocolate varieties. While preferences differ across regions, salted caramel remains among the most popular flavour pairings.
The chocolate experience begins before boarding for First and Business Class passengers in Emirates’ premium airport lounges, where customers are served curated chocolate desserts and confectionery.
Each cabin class has its own chocolate offering. Economy Class customers are served desserts such as Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake with chocolate sauce and caramel curls, while Premium Economy passengers are offered creations including Chocolate & Pistachio Mousse Cake with apricot curd.
In Business Class, Emirates serves desserts such as Chocolate Entremet with cocoa glaze, dark chocolate soil and gold raspberry, along with premium chocolates from UAE chocolatier Coco Jalila.
In First Class, the airline offers plated desserts such as Chocolate Cake with sponge, dulcey soil and chocolate hazelnut sauce, together with a luxury chocolate selection that rotates every four months.